A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

ARCHITECTURA,

the Art or Science of Building. Architecture is divided into Civil and Military: Civil Architecture teaches to make any Buildings whether pub∣lick or private, sacred or profane: Milita∣ry Architecture teaches to fortifie Cities, Pas∣ses, and Sea-ports. Architecture, says Vitruvius, is a Science, which should be accompanied with great variety of Studies, and requires a vast compass of Learning; for by this means it must judge of all the Works of other Arts: In effect Architecture, or the art of Building comprehends all Sciences, and therefore the Greeks gave it a Name, which signifies a su∣periority, or superintendence over all the rest; and when Cicero would give an Exam∣ple of a Science that is of a vast extent, he instances in Architecture.

This Art, like all the rest, had but weak and imperfect beginnings, and was not per∣fected till after long use and experience. At first Houses were made only for necessity; and because in the first Ages Men often chang'd their Habitations, they did not trou∣ble themselves to make their Houses either beautiful or lasting. But when in process of time, every one endeavour'd to settle in some particular Country, then Men began to build their Houses, more solid and strong that they might be able to hold out against the injuries of time: At last, when Luxury was spread among the most rich and power∣ful Nations, then they began to mind the Beauty and magnificence of their Buildings and having observ'd what contributed most either to the Strength or Beauty of them, they set down Rules about them, and so fram'd the Art of Building well, which is call'd Architecture, as those who are perfect Masters of this Art are call'd Architects.

The necessity of making several sorts of Buildings first induc'd the Workmen to settle different Proportions, and from these diffe∣rent Proportions they compos'd different Or∣ders of Architecture. The Orders which the Ancients established at several times and upon divers accidents are the Tuscan, the Do∣ric, the Ionic, the Corinthian, and the Composite. That which forms each of these different Or∣ders, is the Column with its base and Capi∣tal, and the Entablature, i. e. the Architrave, the Frise and Cornish; for these are the only parts which in Buildings constitute that which is call'd an Order, and each Order has its own peculiar measures. Vitruvius is the most ancient of all the Architects whose Wri∣tings we have; he liv'd in the time of Julius Caesar and Augustus, and had view'd the state∣ly Edifices which were then in Greece and Ita∣ly. Several learned Men have also written many excellent Volumes of Architecture, as Fussitius, Varro, Septimius and Gelsus; and Cos∣sutius a Roman Citizen was sent for by King Antiochus, to finish the Temple of Jupiter Olympius in the City of ••hens.

The Original of the Tuscan Order was in Tuscany, one of the most considerable parts of Italy, whose Name it still keeps. Of all the Orders this is the most plain and least or∣namental: 'Twas seldom us'd, save only for some Country Building where there is no need of any Order but one, or else for some great Edifice, as an Amphitheatre, and such like other Buildings. The Tuscan Column is the only thing that recommends this Order. The Doric Order was invented by the Dorians a People of Greece, and has Columns which stand by themselves, and are more ornamen∣tal than the former. The Ionic Order has its

Name from Ionia a Province of Asia, whose Columns are commonly sluted with Twenty four Gutters: But there are some which are not thus furrow'd and hollow'd, but only to the third part from the bottom of the Co∣lumn; and that third part has its Gutters fill'd with little Rods, or round Battoons ac∣cording to the different height of the Co∣lumn which in the upper part is channell'd and hollow'd into Groves, and is altogether empty.

The Corinthian Order was invented at Co∣rinth, it observes the same measures with the Ionic, and the greatest difference between them is in their Capitals.

The Composite was added to the other Or∣ders by the Romans, who plac'd it above the Corinthian, to show, as some Authors say, that they were Lords over all other Nations; and this was not invented till after Augustus had given Peace to the whole World. 'Tis made up of the Ionic and Corinthian, but yet is more ornamental than the Corinthian.

Besides these Five Orders, there are some Authors who add yet Two more, viz. the Order of the Cargatides, and the Persic Or∣der. The former is nothing but the Ionic Order, from which it differs only in this, that instead of Columns there are Figures of Wo∣men which support the Entablature. Vitru∣vius attributes the Origine of this Order to the Ruine of the Inhabitants of Carya, a City of Peloponnesus. He says,

That these People having joyn'd with the Persians to make War upon their own Nation, the Gracians routed the Persians, and obtain'd an entire Victory over them; after which they be∣sieg'd the Inhabitants of Carya, and having taken their City by force of Arms they reduc'd it to Ashes, and put all the Men in it to the Sword: As for the Women and Virgins they carried them away captive, but to perpetuate the Marks of their Crime to Posterity, they represented afterwards the Figure of these miserable Captives in the publick Edifices which they built, where by making them serve instead of Columns, they appear'd to be loaded with a heavy burden, which was, as it were the Punish∣ment they had deserv'd for the Crime of their Husbands.

The Persic Order had its rise from an Accident like this: For Pausa∣nias having defeated the Persians, the Lacede∣monians, as a Mark of their Victory, erected Trophees of the Arms of their Enemies, whom they represented afterwards under the Figure of Slaves, supporting the Entablatures of their Houses. From these Two Examples divers kinds of Figures were afterwards made use of in Architecture to boar up the Cor∣nishes, and support the Corbels and Brack••••s.

There are still some ancient footsteps to be seen near Athens, of those Figures of Women which carry Panniers on their Head, and sup∣ply the room of the Cargatides. There are al∣so Figures of Men, who are commonly call'd Atlantes, according to Vitrutius, tho' the Romans call'd them Telamones. The Greeks had some reason to call them Atlantes, from Atlas whom the Poets feign'd to bear up the Heavens, but it does not appear why the Latins gave them the name of Telamones. Bou∣dus in his Dictionary upon Vitruvius, says, that 'tis probable, he who first us'd this Word to signifie these Statues which bear some burden, wrote not Telamones, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which Greek Word signifies, those that are miserable and labour hard: which exactly agrees to these sort of Figures, which support Cor∣nishes or Corbels, and which we commonly see in the Pillars of our ancient Temples, under the Images of some Saints, or some great Persons.